N.C. official used fraudulent birth date

RALEIGH, N.C., Oct. 31 (UPI) -- North Carolina Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue used a fraudulent birth date for more than 20 years as a favor to her first husband, her spokesman said.

Perdue's spokesman David Kochman said that the lieutenant governor agreed to repeatedly list her birth date as Jan. 14, 1948, one year later than her actual birthday, as a personal favor to her late husband, Gary, the Charlotte (N.C.) Observer said Wednesday.

Kochman said that Perdue agreed to misrepresent the birth date in order to satisfy her first husband's need to appear older than her.

"At the time, in the early '70s, that issue was important to her husband and to the marriage. That's why she did that," the spokesman said.

The birth date revelation comes as Perdue considers seeking the Democratic nomination to become North Carolina's next governor

The Observer said that Perdue has already been targeted by her rival for the nomination, State Treasurer Richard Moore.